Kristy finds homeware retail niche in West Wyalong

Farm animal statues have been a popular gift item at Kristy Amarant’s new homewares business in West Wyalong.Farm animal statues have been a popular gift item at Kristy Amarant’s new homewares business in West Wyalong.

A few pieces of garden furniture and soft furnishings tucked away in a bay of her family’s mechanic’s workshop proved a boon for Kristy Amarant.

Always interested in interior decoration, Kristy sold the pieces as a sideline to the vehicle repairs and servicing workshop run by herself and husband Troy at West Wyalong for the past 11 years.

Demand quickly grew for the gift lines and soon they were competing with the workshop tools for space.

“There was a gap in the market and to have a homewares shop was a dream come true for me,’’ Kristy said.

The couple bought a shop in the main street, originally built in 1894 by draper, H R Helyer, to give her business a home.

They loved the ambience of the old building, polished the floorboards, installed a reproduction antique counter and placed an original page cutter on display.

“We opened Kristy’s Cottage last September and it has been going really well ever since,’’ Kristy said.

“I recently opened on a Sunday and put on morning tea – people were lined up at the door waiting to come in.’’

Some of the biggest sellers have been statues of farm animals, such as sheep, cows and border collie dogs.

Women’s day and evening wear were added this year to the range of quality homewares, gifts, gardenware, baby giftware, jewellery, leather goods, aromatherapy and candles.

Kristy said the West Wyalong shopping precinct was undergoing a revival with people travelling from Grenfell and Condobolin to shop.

“They are coming to town and making a day of it,’’ she said.

Kristy uses social media to sell soft furnishings and tablecloths on line.

This year, Kristy’s Cottage will be sharing a site with West Wyalong business, Hats at Pats, at the Henty Machinery Field Days.

“I haven’t done any markets but I will be attending Henty this year,’’ she said.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Henty and we went as a family for the first time last year – it was much bigger than we expected.

“We bought a farm three years ago so Troy was looking at cattle yards to get ideas while I bought shirts and a hat – we came home with an armful.’’